1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication support system in which a telephone unit is connected through a communication control device into a data processing device and the communication control device is connected to a telephone network in order to provide computer-assisted telephone services for a user of the telephone unit when the user remotely controls the data processing device by using the telephone unit. Further, the present invention relates to a computer readable medium which stores program code instructions for causing a processor to execute a telephone service processing in response to the remote control by the user of the telephone unit.
Personal computers for home use are becoming widespread. Modems have now been shrunk to a chip size, enhancing the popularity in personal computers. The increasing prevalence of the personal computers having a built-in modem makes it easier to access the Internet or other communication networks through telephone lines. In recent years, the telephone lines have been shared by the computers and the telephones.
In recent developments, there is a demand for a useful, advanced communication support system which enables a telephone user to use a telephone unit to remotely control a data processing device in order to obtain computer-assisted telephone services. Currently, the computer-assisted telephone services are provided only by locally operating the data processing device, and the telephones and the computers are separately used. Further, it is desired to provide a communication support system which allows the telephone user to easily transmit data to or receive data from other communication media.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional communication support system which provides existing telephone services by executing an application program installed in the system is known. The conventional communication support system provides the telephone services only when the user locally operates an input device (such as a keyboard or a mouse) of a personal computer. That is, when one of the telephone services is obtained from the conventional communication support system, the user must be located in front of the personal computer and locally operate the input device of the personal computer.
FIG. 29 shows such a conventional communication support system.
As shown in FIG. 29, the conventional communication support system generally has an existing telephone unit 301, a data processing device 304, and a line unit 303. The telephone unit 301 is connected through the line unit 303 into the data processing device 304, and the line unit 303 is connected to a telephone network 302. The data processing device 304 is, for example, a personal computer. The telephone network 302 is, for example, a public switched telephone network.
In the above-described conventional system, a voice input/output unit 305, a dialing unit 306 and a signal detection unit 307 are connected to the line unit 303. Further, a personal-computer (PC) interface unit 308 is provided between the data processing device 304 and the units 305 and 306.
The voice input/output unit 305 supplies a voice signal sent from the telephone unit 301 or the telephone network 302, to the data processing device 304 via the PC interface unit 308, and supplies a voice signal derived from digital data stored in the data processing device 304, to the telephone unit 301 or the telephone network 302. The dialing unit 306 provides an existing dialing function to transmit a call over the telephone network 302 to a destination terminal according to a telephone number input by an input device (such as a keyboard or a mouse) of the data processing device 304. The signal detection unit 307 detects various signals sent from a telephone line, such as a busy tone signal, a ring tone signal, a ring back tone signal, an on-hook signal, and an off-hook signal.
In the above-described conventional system, the telephone services are provided by an existing telephone-service application program executed by the data processing device (or the personal computer). Such telephone services include, for example, voice recording and playback, file transmission, and telephone number entry.
In the above-described conventional system, when a user of the data processing device 304 makes a call to the destination terminal, the application program installed in the data processing device 304 is executed. The user inputs the telephone number of the destination terminal and presses a dialing button on a monitor of the data processing device 304 by operating the input device (such as the keyboard or the mouse) of the data processing device 304. In this case, the user lifts a handset of the telephone unit 301 located away from the data processing device 304, and then the off-hook signal is detected by the signal detection unit 307. The telephone unit 301 is connected to the destination terminal by the line unit 303, and this enables the user to use the handset to communicate with a person of the destination terminal by voice.
However, in the above-described conventional system, it is impossible for the user to make a call to the destination terminal by using the telephone unit 301 to remotely control the application program on the data processing device 304.
In the above-described conventional system, when a voice recording function, as one of the telephone services, is obtained by executing the application program on the data processing device 304, the user of the data processing device 304 presses a recording start button on the monitor by operating the input device of the data processing device 304. In this case, the data processing device 304 acquires voice data from the telephone unit 301 or the telephone network 302 through the voice input/output unit 305. The application program on the data processing device 304 converts the voice data into digital data in a computer-readable format and stores the digital data in a memory of the data processing device 304. The application program continues to provide the voice recording until a recording end button on the monitor is pressed by the user.
However, in the above-described conventional system, it is impossible for the user to start the voice recording processing by using the telephone unit 301 to remotely control the application program on the data processing device 304.
In the above-described conventional system, when a playback function, as one of the telephone services, is obtained by executing the application program on the data processing device 304, the user of the data processing device 304 presses a playback start button on the monitor by operating the input device. In this case, the application program on the data processing device 304 converts the digital data stored in the memory of the device 304 into voice data, and supplies the voice data to the voice input/output unit 305. A voice signal is derived from the voice data by the voice input/output unit 305, and the voice signal is supplied to the telephone unit 301 or the telephone network 302 via the line unit 303. The application program continues to provide the playback function until a playback end button on the monitor is pressed by the user or the end of the data stored in the memory is detected.
However, in the above-described conventional system, it is impossible for the user to start the playback processing by using the telephone unit 301 to remotely control the application program on the data processing device 304.
Further, in the above-described conventional system, when a telephone number entry function, as one of the telephone services, is obtained by executing the application program on the data processing device 304, the user of the data processing device 304 inputs a telephone number by operating the input device. In this case, the application program on the data processing device 304 stores the input telephone number in the memory. The application program is executed to carry out the telephone number entry processing when the user operates the keyboard or the mouse in connection with the monitor in an interactive manner.
However, in the above-described conventional system, it is impossible for the user to start the telephone number entry processing by using the telephone unit 301 to remotely control the application program on the data processing device 304. It is impossible for the conventional system to detect a telephone number input by the telephone unit 301.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved communication support system in which the above-mentioned problems are eliminated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a communication support system which enables the telephone user to use the telephone unit to obtain computer-assisted telephone services by remotely controlling the data processing device.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a communication control device for a communication support system including a telephone unit and a data processing device, which enables the telephone user to use the telephone unit to obtain computer-assisted telephone services by remotely controlling the data processing device.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of executing a telephone service processing in a communication support system which provides computer-assisted telephone services for the telephone user of the telephone unit when the user remotely controls the data processing device by using the telephone unit.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer readable medium storing program code instructions which causes a processor of a communication support system to execute a telephone service processing in response to a command signal sent by a telephone unit.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a communication support system wherein a telephone unit is connected through a communication control device into a data processing device and the communication control device is connected to a telephone network, comprising: a command signal detection unit which detects a command signal sent by the telephone unit, the command signal indicating one of a plurality of telephone services; a telephone service recognition unit which determines which of the plurality of telephone services is indicated by the command signal from the telephone unit; and a telephone service processing unit which executes a telephone service processing for the telephone service determined by the telephone service recognition unit, the telephone service processing unit starting execution of the telephone service processing in response to control data from the command signal detection unit.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a communication control device for a communication support system including a telephone unit and a data processing device wherein the communication control device is connected to a telephone network and the telephone unit sends a command signal indicating one of a plurality of telephone services, comprising: a line unit which connects the telephone unit through the communication control device into the data processing device and the telephone network; and a command signal detection unit which detects the command signal sent by the telephone unit, and transmits the command signal and control data to the data processing device so that the data processing device starts execution of a telephone service processing for the telephone service indicated by the command signal in response to the control data.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a method of executing a telephone service processing in a communication support system wherein a telephone unit is connected through a communication control device into a data processing device and the communication control device is connected to a telephone network, comprising the steps of: detecting a command signal sent by the telephone unit, the command signal indicating one of a plurality of telephone services; transmitting the command signal and control data from the communication control device to the data processing device; determining which of the plurality of telephone services is indicated by the command signal from the telephone unit; and starting execution of a telephone service processing for the telephone service determined in said determining step, in response to the control data.
In the communication support system of the present invention, it is possible to provide the computer-assisted telephone services for the telephone user when the telephone user uses the telephone unit to remotely control the data processing device. The communication support system of the present invention allows the telephone user to more easily transmit data to or receive data from other communication media such as the data processing device. Further, the communication support system of the present invention allows the telephone user to use a cordless telephone to remotely control the data processing device. It is no longer necessary that the user be located in front of the data processing device when obtaining the computer-assisted telephone services from the communication support system.